Stalk cutter and bedder



Oct. :50, 1928. 1389,71'8 w. B. COLLINS I STALK CUTTER AND BEDDER Filed Oct. 16, 1926 2 abuts-Sheet 1 5 .26 4 ga g I 2 55 76 22 77 \N' B. COZZUW,

5b 40 77 59 7 c a. 4..., 7

Oct. 30, 1928.

w; B1 COLLINS v STALK CUTTER AND BEDDER 2 Sheds-Sheet Filed 00*,- 16, 1926 gran/"to; .13. 00 Z 2?) 6) Patented Oct. 30, 192 8.

UNITED STATES wen Ten B. COLLINS, or nterior, rn'xAs'.

sTALK CUTTERTAND s'n'iinn'n;

Application filed October 16, 1926. Serial Nd. 142,018;

This invention relates to a combined stalk cutter-and bedder, and one object is to provide a simple, efficient and'c'om'pact construction of lnachinewhich cant-e easily operated and whereby a plurality of rows of stalks may be sinniltaneously cut and turned under and bedded at the same time the ground is broken and prepared for another crop. Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the cutters and plows may be'easily and conveniently adjusted and held in adjusted position. v e

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front perspective Vl'GW' of the device.

FigureQ is a side elevation thereof. Figure 3 is a top plan view. Figure is a'rear elevation.

Figure 5 isa vertical section on line 5-5 of Figure 3. i

Figure 6 is a sectinonline6-'6 of Figure 3'. i Figure plows.

Referring new more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates the main frame of *the implement including a front frame bar 2, a rear frame bar '3, and side bars 4, the bar 3 being provided with clips or hangers 5 for a shaft 6 carrying rear 7 is a-persp'ective viewof one of the supporting wheels 7. The bar 2 has aforwardly extending portion 8 provided with a 'bea'rin Sfor a vertical shaftoi' s oindle 9 for a front wheeled truck 10. A draft tongue. 11 i is fixed to the upper end of the shaft or spindle 9 whereby .the implement may be shitably drawn and steered.

Pivotally engaging the bearing 8' is a yoke 12, ofsubstantially Y shaped design the arms of which extend rearwardly and carry bearings 18 for a transverse shaft 1 1, while the apexthereof pivotally engages the bearing as shown. On this shaft 1 1 is mounted arotary cutter comprising a rotary drum 15 provided with lugs 16 to which detachable cutter blades 17 are secured, as by means of bolts 18. These blades are disposed at equal dis tances about the surface of the drum and project radially therefrom and operate to sever the standing stalks as'the implement is drawn across the surface of the field and the drum revolves. The drum revolves by engageinent with the-stalks as the implement -pro- =ceeds, thereby successively presenting its blades forfa cuttingaction for a cleansever ance of the sti 'ilks withoutthe necessity of "imparting-a positive rotarydriving action thereto.-

j Extending upwardly from the mainframe 'ztregearhousm'gs 19"wlnch maybe, as shown,

, closed at the front andsides and 'o ien a't the -rear,top andb'ottom, and enclosed and guided in each housing is a rack bar 20. ,These rack bars are-provided at their lowerends with suspending hooks -21engag-ing screw eyes'22' fastening the arms of yoke 12 to the bearings 13' anddetachably coupling the yoke to the hooks of the rack bars.- Shafts 23, journaled in thehousings 19, carry pinions 24ineshing with the rack bars whereby the"shaft 161, ro-

tary cutter and swinging frame formed by the yoke 12 maybe raised. and lowered, to raise the cutter blades clear of the ground when the. implement is being transported whenjnot in action or to adjustthe drumrto vary theworking-level of saicl cuttjerblades. Fixed to each shaft-23 is anoperating-hand wheel 25 wherebythe pinions may be turned to equally or unequally adjust the rotarycutter at oppositesides, the yoke being for this purpose mounted. both to swing vertically and also laterally in the bearing 8. By this means thedru'm may be adjusted to dispose the cutters in a horizontal positionandat a desired elevation'wheretheground 18' level or the drum maybe tilted laterally to incline the blades at an angle to the horizontal. in

working on a hillside or the like. Brake 'ar1ns'26 are pivotally mounted on the frame and provided with brake shoes27, to engage the wheels 25 whereby each Wheel may be held in its cutter adjusting position. Springs 28 connect the brake arms with the housings" 19 and hold'the brake shoes normally. applied, and eachbrake armis provided with 'a foot pedal 2901' the like whereby it maybe re leased. 7

{Frame 1 carries U-shapedrear extensions 30 spaced apart at their inner sides and carry ing upstanding bearing brackets 31 in which is journaled a shaft 32 carrying a handwheel 33. Fixed at their upper ends to the shaft 32 are suspension chains 34; secured at their lower ends by ends 35" to plow beams, 36. Three such beams are shown, each carrying a plow shovel or digger 37, to act upon a like number of rows of stalks at a time, whereby the stumps of the stalks may be uprooted and turned under into the formed furrows, so that to swing vertically on brackets 39, which slidably engage a transverse rod'or rods 40 carried by the clips or hangers 5, admitting of a vertical ustment of the plows to swing them. clear of the ground or to regulate their as permitting of a horizontal adjustment of the plows toregulate their spacing to accord with the spacing of the stalk rows. Overlapping spacing bars 41,'secured at one end to the respective culfs 35, and perforated for the reception of bolts 42, permit of such spacing ofthe beams and provide'for the fastening of the beams inrelatively spaced position.

By meansof the hand wheel 33 .the chains 34 may be woundupon or unwound from shaft 32 so that the plows may be raised and lowered as required. Iivoted to bar 3 of frame 1 is a brake arm 43, similar to brake arms 26, carrying a brake shoe a4 to'engage wheel 33 and held in engaging position by a spring 45, so that shaft 32 may be held fixed to hold the plow beams in adjusted position. This brake arm is provided with a pedal or like device 46 to permit it to be easily released whenever it is desired to turn wheel 33. WVheel 33 is so mounted that its bottom por tion may occupy the space between frame portions 30 so that it may be arranged at a low working level and operated without interference. 1 i

The plow shovels or diggers-37 may be of any suitable construction for the purpose and sweeps 47 of suitable construction may be de-V tachably secured to the plow standards for use or not'as desired, such sweeps operating to sweep the cut stalks for a bedding action.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim:-

tracting saidbrake member. depth of-penetration of the ground, as well a pivotal suspending connection between each rack bar and the yoke arm at the same side of the frame, a transverse shaft journaled upon each housing, a pinion on each shaft and meshing with'the rack bar guided in the housing upon which the shaft'is journaled, a hand wheel on each shaft, an automatically operated brake member normally engaging each hand wheel, and means for manually re 2. In a stalk cutter including a wheeled supporting frame, a yoke pivoted to the frame to swing vertically and laterally, a rotary cutter carried by and journaled upon the arms of the yoke,'and a combinedrackguide and'gear 7 housing rising from the frame at. each side thereof and above each yoke arm, a rack bar slidable vertically in each housing, a pivotal and the yoke arm at the same side of the frame, a transverse shaft'journaled upon each housing a pinion on each shaft and meshing with the rack bar guided'inthe housing upon which the shaft is journaled, a hand wheel on each shaft, a spring actuated friction brake member normally engaging each'wheel, and a foot pedal for releasing each brake member.

3. In a stalk cutter including a wheeled supporting frame, a yoke pivoted to the frame'to swing verticallyand laterally,- and a rotary cutter carried by and journaled upon the arms of the yoke, a combined rack guide and gear housing rising from the frame at each side thereof and above each yoke arm, a rack bar slidable vertically in each'hou'sing, a pivotal suspending connection between each rack bar and the yoke arm at the same side of the frame, a transverse shaft ]ournaled upon each housing, a pinion on each shaft and meshing wlth the rack bar guided in thehousing upon which the shaftisjoun naled, a hand wheel on each shaft, brake arms on the frame and carryingbrake shoes to en.

the wheels,springs connecting the brake arms with the housings and operative to hold the brake shoes normally applied, and'foot pedals connected to the brake arms for retracting the brake shoes. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

. WALTER B. co L'I s. 

